Fireplace shield



J. T. VIGGIANO 2,515,576

FIREPLACE SHIELD July 18, 1950 Filed March 3, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Joseph T. V/ggiano INVENTOR.

BY Q...

July 18, 1950 J. T. VIGGIANO 2,515,576

FIREPLACE SHIELD Filed March 3, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Joseph T. Vigg/ana INVENTOR.

Patented July 18, 1950 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIREPLACE SHIELD Joseph T. Viggiano, Enterprise, Va.

Application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,730 i 2 Claims. The present invention relates to new and useful. improvements in shields for fireplaces to sub- Istantially enclose the fireplace when removing "ashes therefrom to prevent dust from the ashes from entering the room.

An important object of the invention is to provide a removable fireplace shield which may be easily and quickly set up in position at the fireplace opening and which includes a vertically swingable flap at the front edge of the shield to regulate the draft to a point at the bottom portion of the fireplace to facilitate the starting of a fire therein.

A still further object is to provide a fireplace shield of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the flap in a raised position for use when removing ashes from the fireplace;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the flap in a lowered position for use when starting a fire;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the shield removed from the fireplace;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the anchoring hook at the upper edge of the shield; and

Figure 6 is .an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 66 of Figure l and showing the catch for holding the fiap in a raised position.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates the sheet metal shield generally and which includes a forwardly sloping front wall E at the upper portion of the shield and substantially triangular shaped end walls I at the side edges of the front wall and having their vertical rear edges 8 positioned inwardly at the side edges of a fireplace opening 9, the side walls l' extending substantially throughout the height of the fireplace as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The upper edge of the front wall 6 is rolled forwardly to form a substantially hook-shaped hanger ill which engages behind the beading II at the lowerv front edge of the lining l2 for the fireplace to support the shield in a position at the front of the fireplace as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

A vertically swingable fiap I3 is hinged at one edge to the lower edge of front wall 6 by a conventional type of hinge structure M for swinging downwardly in a rearwardly inclined position at the lower front portion of the shield, the lower edge of the fiap being curved upwardly as shown at 15.

The flap is held in its raised position against the outer surface of the front wall 6 by means of a combined handle and catch l6 which has one end secured to the front wall 6 by a rivet or the like I1 and extends downwardly from its attached end to provide a downwardly and inwardly curved lower free end l8 which forms a catch under which the free edge of the flap I3 is snapped to hold the flap in its raised position.

In the operation of the device when it is desired to remove ashes from the fireplace or from a coal grate I9 therein the flap i3 is held in its raised position and the shield placed in the fireplace as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The forwardly projecting upper portion of the shield prevents dust from the ashes from entering the room, the lower front portion of the shield being of sufficient height to enable an ash can or receptacle 2!} to be placed thereunder adjacent the grate 19.

When starting a fire in the fireplace the flap I3 is lowered into a position as shown in Figure 2, the lower curved edge 15 of the fiap providing a draft opening 2| at the extreme lower portion of the fireplace to more effectively aid the starting of the fire.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims. Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A fireplace, a shield therefor comprising a sheet metal sloping front wall and triangular side walls fitting in the opening of the fireplace from top to bottom of said opening, a hanger at the upper edge of the front wall securing the shield in the fireplace opening with the front wall projecting forwardly and downwardly therefrom and having its lower edge positioned above the hearth of the fireplace to afford access thereto for removing ashes therefrom, and a vertically swingable flap at the lower edge of the front wall swingable thereon into a rearwar'dlyand downwardly inclined position against said side walls to close said shield below said front wall.

2. A fireplace, a shield therefor comprising a sheet metal sloping front wall and triangular side walls fitting in the opening of the fireplace from top to bottom of said opening, a hanger at the upper edge of the front wall securing the shield in the fireplace opening with the front wall projecting forwardly and downwardly therefrom and having its lower edge positioned above the hearth of the fireplace to afford access thereto for removing ashes therefrom, and a verticall-y swingable flap at the lower edge of the front Wall swingable thereon into a re-ar'wardly and downwardly inclined position against said side walls to close the shield below said front wall, said flap having a curved lower edge forming a draft opening at the bottom of the fireplace opening underneath said wall.

JOSEPH T. VIGGIANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 134,556 McCarthy Jan. 7, 1873 305,838 Murphy Sept. 30, 1884 328,087 Thompson Oct. 13, 1885 679,767 Cole Mar. 26, 1901 1,432,474 Lind Oct. 17, 1922 1,767,312 Russell June 24, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 332 Great Britain 1898 503,188 Great Britain Apr. 3, 19.39 

